The Princes in the Tower | Murdered or Survived?

The mystery of the Princes in the Tower. Will we ever know what happened to Edward V and his younger brother Richard, Duke of York? The princes, who were 12 and 9 years old at the time of their disappearance, were taken into custody at the Tower of London by their uncle, the future Richard III, after the sudden death of their father King Edward IV. The boys disappeared from the Tower in the autumn of 1483. Speculation over their fate remains to this day and many questions remain unanswered. Murdered or survived? What do you think?

Storyteller: Chantelle Hooley

https://www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london/
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Director: Matt Oliver
Producers: Matt Oliver / Nadja Noel
Music: Will Stapleton
Film Editor: Matt Oliver

Image credits in order of appearance.

Edward IV, British School, 16th Century. Royal Collection Trust / © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2019.

Elizabeth Woodville, Attributed to the British School, 16th Century. Royal Collection Trust / © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2019.

The Princes in the Tower by John Everett Millais, 1878. © Royal Holloway, University of London.

The Woodville Family (detail of Lord Rivers), English School (15th century). © Lambeth Palace Library, MS 265 f. Viv.

Richard III, c.1510-40 (oil on panel), English School, (16th century). © Society of Antiquaries of London, UK / Bridgeman Images.

The Coronation Procession of Anne Boleyn to Westminster Abbey 1st June 1533 London England UK. 19th century Victorian engraving circa 1878 , © f8 archive / Alamy Stock Photo.

Canterbury stained glass window images featuring: Edward IV, Elizabeth Woodville, the Princes and their daughters. Reproduced courtesy of the Chapter, Canterbury Cathedral.

King Henry VII, unknown artist, 1505, England, UK, Europe. © Peter Barritt / Alamy Stock Photo.

Elizabeth of York (1465-1503) c.1470-98, British School (16th Century). Royal Collection Trust / © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2019.

Richard III (1955), dir. by Laurence Olivier. © Park Circus.

An historic print showing Croyland (Crowland) church and abbey. © Colin Waters / Alamy Stock Photo.

The Usurpation of Richard III by Dominic Mancini. © Bibliothèque municipale de Lille, Ms GOD 22.

Polydore Vergil, c. 1470 to 1555. Italian historian. From Crabbes Historical Dictionary published 1825. © Classic Image / Alamy Stock Photo.

The works of Sir Thomas More Knyght, sometyme Lorde Chauncellour of England, wrytten by him in the Englysh tonge. © The British Library Board, G.2423.

Richard III, British School, 16th Century. Royal Collection Trust / © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2019.

Sir Thomas More and Family by Rowland Lockey (the first seven figures, left-to-right, after Hans Holbein the Younger). , © Granger Historical Picture Archive / Alamy Stock Photo.

Sir Thomas More, English lawyer, social philosopher, author and statesman. © GL Archive / Alamy Stock Photo.

Laurence Olivier in Richard III (1955). © AF archive / Alamy Stock Photo.

Anthony Sher in Richard III (RSC, 1984). © Zuleika Henry

Sir Ian McKellen in Richard IIII (1995). © Allstar Picture Library / Alamy Stock Photo.

The Princes in the Tower, After Paul Delaroche (1797-1856). © Historic Royal Palaces.

Murder of the Princes in the Tower by James Northcote (1746-1831). © World History Archive / Alamy Stock Photo.

Possible remains of Edward V and Richard, Duke of York. © Dean and Chapter of Westminster.